After years of AFA advocacy, the NSW Music Festivals Act was amended, removing the restrictive “Subject Festival” label and granting organisers the right to appeal unreasonable user-pays fees. 

The AFA’s advocacy led to the Revive Live funding being extended for one year in 2024-25 Budget. Offering up to $250,000 per event, this funding provided crucial financial support to festivals and live music organisers as they faced rising costs and economic challenges — directly addressing key issues we have long championed. 

After years of AFA advocacy, the NSW Music Festivals Act was amended, removing the restrictive “Subject Festival” label and granting organisers the right to appeal unreasonable user-pays fees. 

We co-chair the legislated NSW Music Festival Roundtable with equal Government and Industry representatives, providing a forum for members to engage with regulatory agencies.

The Victorian Government introduced new laws to allow pill testing at music festivals, a significant step towards improving safety for festival-goers.  The AFA continues to engage with stakeholders in Victoria to ensure these measures are effectively implemented, helping to create safer environments at festivals across the state.

We appeared to give evidence at numerous Senate Committee hearing into COVID-19 and the new National Cultural Policy.

Alongside the Australian Music Industry Network, we launched the ilostmygig website in early 2020, receiving 12,000 submissions in just over 4 weeks.

We received NSW Health funding to develop Harm Minimisation Training programs for festival staff, suppliers and patrons – www.partysafe.com.au

We delivered a $25 million economic recovery package for festivals in New South Wales after the 2021 NSW lockdown.​​

We delivered a $12 million economic recovery package for festivals in Victoria after the 2021 Victorian lockdown.

We advocated for government covid insurance schemes delivered in NSW, Victoria and by the Commonwealth.

We fought to ensure festivals could access RISE and Live Music Australia funding from the Federal Office for the Arts.

We briefed Senior Counsel in the Coronial Inquest into the six deaths at music festivals (over 2018-19 summer) as an interested party to ensure the industry was represented.